Russia-Ukraine war live: G20 declares members have ‘different views and assessments’ on the conflict

G20 declaration: ‘Different views and assessments of the situation in Ukraine’

The G20 leaders’ declaration on Ukraine noted the “different views and assessments” on Russia’s war on the country, but underscored that all states must act in a manner “consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN charter in its entirety”, Reuters is reporting.

All states must refrain from threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state, the declaration states.

Russia has asserted from the beginning of the invasion that Ukraine, a recognised separate nation, is actually Russia. Ukraine has also already begun a widespread war crimes investigation into Russia’s actions in the country, some of which include the execution of civilians, rape and looting.

The declaration also states that G20 is not the platform to resolve geopolitical and security issues. However, it called for the “timely and effective” implementation to ensure “immediate and unimpeded” deliveries of grain, food stuff and fertilisers from Ukraine and Russia.

In July, Russia quit the Black Sea grain deal, which brokered by the UN and Turkey to ensure the safe transport of products from and to Ukraine – Ukraine is an agricultural hub known as the breadbasket of Europe.

The deal included an agreement to facilitate Russia’s own exports of food and fertiliser, but Moscow said this had not been fulfilled. Since quitting the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and grain stores.

Today, Russia said it was sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal – in particular a state agricultural bank, not a subsidiary of the bank that was proposed by the UN, to be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments system.

“All our conditions are perfectly well known. They do not need interpretation, they are absolutely concrete and all this is absolutely achievable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.